We can agree (I hope) that human brains develop in response to various factors in the culture in which they develop. We can agree also (again, I hope) that computers and related devices, incuding (maybe even especially) information networks, are an important part of 21st century culture.

If we hope to discuss the human brians that are supposed to develop in response to the work we do in classrooms, it is well to recognize certain "things" computers do well and compare those to "things" that humans do well.

Computers are good at:

  Shouting

When connected to the Internet (and properly configured to use the connection), modern computers can send information anywhere in the world in a matter of seconds.

  Listening

When connected to the Internet (and properly configued to use the connection), modern computers will accept each and every message intended for it.

Comparing

Computers have the ability to find needles in haystacks... more accurately, computers have the ability to find terms in vast documents or collections of documents.

Calculating

The general purpose technology devices we use today retain the name "computer" as a vestige of the original purpose of the earlier devices: computers compute. They are designed to perform mathematical calculations with speed and accuracy.

Remembering

Stored on reliable media, digital files are stored in a form that can be recalled with great accuracy for years and years.

Copying

Digital copies of files are made with accuracy and speed and precision that is not possible with analog technologies.

  Humans are good at:

Asking and Answering Complex Questions

Computers can respond to questions that are posed in a structure that are as expected and that have been presupposed by designers of the system. More difficult or unexpected questions result in an error message. Also, questions that arise from intuition or from new connections are not usually understood by computers, nor can those questions be formulated by computers. (There are some artificial intelligence research seeks to create computers that can handle these types of questions and even generate these questions, but functioning systems appear to be decades in the future.)

Fuzzy Logic

Whereas computers are designed to follow logic with precision, humans are only somewhat logical (in some situations and for some individuals logic seems a distant goal). Misspelled words, inaccurate grammar or syntax, and estimation are all easily handled by humans, but not by computers.

Creating Aesthetic Acts

Although computers sometimes create poetry or aesthetically pleasing images, purposeful planning for and creation of these works remain in the domain of humans. 

Being Ethical

Whereas computers do what they are told and exactly what they are told, humans have the ability to question "Should I do this?" and to hesitate, seek clarification, or stop if the demanded action appears to violate one's understanding of right and wrong.

Daniel Pink use the metaphor of left and right brains to differentiate computers, and culture, and brians, and to argues that we need to retink education:

(Not great audio and no video, but listen to the ideas!)